Former Japanese army kai 45 officer summer tunic and trousers. The shoulder boards are for a Tokumu Sacho (Special Duty Sergeant Major). The shoulder board on the right side when viewed from the front of the jacket is missing its shoulder-board fastener. The leather fastening strap on the shoulder board is also missing. When I acquired the item, the shoulder board had already been attached by thread stitching, which appears to have been a period repair. The stitching had come undone, so I re-stitched it. On the right side, the original thread used to secure the shoulder board had also come undone. I therefore attached the shoulder board using a simple thread fastening made by me. The overall condition shows some signs of age, including minor wear, stains, and dirt. Shoulder Width: 38 cm. Chest Width: 48 cm. Sleeve Length: 59 cm. Neck Circumference: 39 cm. Total Length: 104 cm. Please display in your collections and on your mannequins! How about military collector? International Buyers – Please Note.
Original factory accessories for the C. Haenel Schmeisser Pocket Model / Model I. 25 ACP (6.35mm) automatic pistol. Original cardboard box with label. Original maroon instruction manual (“DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS for the use of the’SCHMEISSER’ Automatic-pistol Caliber 25″). Original cleaning brush. Original cardboard packing inserts. Pink safety warning label still attached inside the box. The manual is in excellent condition – clean, complete, and fully legible. Box shows expected age wear but remains solid and complete. These original accessories are scarce. Most pistols are found without the box or manual. Ideal for collectors looking to complete a Haenel Schmeisser Model I or Pocket Model set.
WWII Imperial Japanese Army Imperial Guard Discharge Commemorative Tea Saucer. This is a prewar Imperial Japanese Army commemorative tea saucer made to mark a soldier’s discharge from the Imperial Guard Division. The Japanese inscriptions on the surface read “Imperial Guard Division” and Discharge Commemoration. At the center is a scroll displaying the five military virtues derived from the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors: loyalty, proper conduct, valor, faithfulness, and simplicity. Issued in 1882, the Imperial Rescript became one of the foundations of moral education within the prewar Japanese military. On the right is the distinctive Imperial Guard Division emblem, while the left side depicts a palace-style scene associated with the Imperial residence. The Imperial Guard held a special position within the Japanese Army. Originally organized to protect the Emperor and the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, its soldiers served in one of the most prestigious formations of the prewar military. Tea also had an important place in everyday Japanese hospitality. A small saucer such as this was therefore both a practical household object and a personal keepsake marking the end of a soldier’s military service and his return to civilian life. The reverse bears the Japanese inscription Design Registered, No. Approximate size: 11 × 8 cm / 4.3 × 3.1 in. There are minor scratches, discoloration, and signs of age, but no major damage. Please refer to the photographs for the exact condition. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
Original early German canvas combat/field rucksack (Rucksack). Features clear maker ink stamps on the inner closure flap reading August Kraft / Sattlerbetrieb / Jülich Rhid. Constructed in the classic pattern produced from WWI through the Reichswehr and early Wehrmacht periods. Features olive canvas with heavy dark leather edge trim, complete interior divider flap with functional buckle strap, and original integrated leather shoulder straps with metal end hooks. Some leather parts are broken/replacedLeather remains dark, flexible, and completely intact with no dry-rot. Canvas shows light age patina with no major holes or heavy stains. A complete, early German rucksack suitable for Imperial WWI, Reichswehr, or WWII displays.
Douglas XP3D-2 Navy Flying Boat Photo 8×10 Sole Prototype Built, 1936. The Only One Built… It Later Crashed With Future Fleet Admiral Ernest King Aboard. DESCRIPTION This 8×10 photograph documents the Douglas XP3D-2, a twin-engine U. Navy patrol flying boat and the only aircraft ever built to this exact configuration. The print is dated directly on the negative, May 19, 1936, and shows the aircraft riding on the water with its distinctive retractable wingtip floats lowered and its nose turret in place, both features unique to the rebuilt XP3D-2 version. The story behind this airframe is what sets it apart. In 1933 the Navy ordered single prototypes from both Douglas and Consolidated Aircraft to compete for a new patrol bomber contract. That Consolidated design became the PBY Catalina, the most-produced flying boat in history. Douglas rebuilt its prototype in one more attempt to win follow-on orders, raising the wing, moving the engines to the leading edge, and adding retractable floats and a nose turret. The rebuilt aircraft, redesignated XP3D-2, was re-delivered in May 1935, but the Navy again went with Consolidated. With no production contract to follow, the sole XP3D-2 was reassigned as a VIP transport with Patrol Squadron VP-11F. Less than a year after this photograph was taken, on February 8, 1937, the XP3D-2 suffered an engine failure and crashed in Acapulco Bay, Mexico, destroying the only example of the type ever built. The VIP aboard, Rear Admiral Ernest J. King, walked away from the wreck. King went on to become Commander in Chief of the U. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II, one of only four officers in U. Navy history to hold the rank of Fleet Admiral. This print carries a period caption inscribed directly on the negative, “9342 XP3D-2 5-19-36, ” identifying both the aircraft type and the exact date the photo was taken. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you’re unsatisfied with the item, please reach out and I’ll make it right. CONDITION Vintage period photographic print with good overall detail and solid contrast throughout the image. The period caption in the lower right (“9342 XP3D-2 5-19-36″) is clear and legible. The reverse shows the natural toning expected of a photograph this age, along with small patches of adhesive/paper residue in a couple of corners from previous album mounting; no writing is present on the back. No tears, creases, or emulsion loss are visible. Please review all photos closely, as they are the best representation of actual condition.
The powerful warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy were not kept running by admirals and gunners alone. This fascinating historical textbook offers a rare glimpse into the technical education of Japanese naval engineers more than a century ago. Originally published in 1916, during World War I, Practical Marine Engineering, Part I was prepared for third-year students at the Imperial Japanese Naval Engineering School, an institution responsible for training the specialist officers who operated and maintained Japan’s warship machinery. Without them, even the mightiest battleship was simply a massive steel vessel unable to move. What did these future naval engineers study? This textbook covers the practical operation of steam-powered warship machinery, including engine preparation, mechanical operation, onboard communications, boiler water supply, troubleshooting, emergency repairs, and other essential engineering procedures. Imagine a warship developing serious engine trouble in the middle of a voyage. How would its engineers respond? These were exactly the kinds of problems that young naval engineering students were trained to understand. What makes this book especially interesting is its age. Originally compiled more than 20 years before World War II, it belongs to an earlier generation of Japanese naval technology and education. During the following decades, the Imperial Japanese Navy underwent enormous technological development and expansion before eventually entering the Pacific War. The engineering traditions taught at institutions like this helped form the technical foundation of that navy. This is more than an antique engineering textbook. It is a surviving piece of the education, discipline, and technical knowledge of the often-overlooked men who kept Japan’s warships operating. Item Details Title: Practical Marine Engineering, Part I Institution: Imperial Japanese Naval Engineering School Intended Students: Third-Year Naval Engineering Cadets First Edition: December 20, 1916 This Edition: October 2, 1919 Instructor: Yoshio Nitta, Naval Engineer Lieutenant Earlier Edition Instructor: Bunichiro Honma, Naval Engineer Lieutenant Commander Condition: Significant age-related wear, particularly to the front cover and spine, including tears, discoloration, staining, and general deterioration. Please examine the photographs carefully. An appealing historical reference for collectors of Imperial Japanese Navy memorabilia, naval engineering history, military education, and early 20th-century maritime technology. Step into the world of young Japanese naval engineering cadets more than 100 years ago, and discover the technical knowledge behind the warships of an earlier era. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
